Politics Undercut Thai Shares

The standoff between the ruling party and opposition parties has dimmed the bright outlook for the country's economy and its stocks.

But for its politics, Thailand's stock market would be one of the most attractive in Asia. Unfortunately, the two are inseparable.

In early November, protesters began filling the streets of Bangkok demanding the resignation of the two-year-old government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. They accuse her administration of corruption and abuse of power. With tensions mounting, opposition members of parliament resigned on Dec. 8, and reports began to circulate about an imminent military coup backed by Thailand's...